Latin American Studies

Michael Malpass, Professor and Coordinator

Gladys M. Varona-Lacey, Professor and Coordinator

This is one of the individual and interdisciplinary studies programs of the School of Humanities and Sciences.

Latin America is an extraordinarily diverse area, encompassing a wide variety of cultures, political units, economics, languages, and environments. The goals of the Latin American studies minor are to foster greater knowledge about Latin America and to explore the cultural contributions of that area to the global community. The minor aims to expand students' views concerning the multicultural nature of the peoples of Latin America, and to emphasize the interactions between indigenous and introduced cultures in this region, both past and present. The Latin American studies minor will be useful to students envisioning careers in government, business, commerce, communication, or teaching. Students interested in pursuing graduate work in any field related to Latin America will also find such a minor to be important.

Requirements for the minor in Latin American studies

Students will achieve the goals of the minor by taking a set of courses on Latin America in at least two different departments, or for more breadth, by choosing courses in several departments. The specific courses are selected according to the interests of the student from the list approved by the Latin American studies faculty and updated each semester.

The minor in Latin American studies will require 18 credit hours of work, including language proficiency through the intermediate (20200) level, or equivalent proficiency as demonstrated by a placement examination.

1. Prior to enrolling for the next semester, a student must have his/her minor courses approved on the advising form kept by his/her adviser.

2. The 20200 language course (Intermediate II) may count toward the minor, but the 10100, 10200, and 20100 courses (Elementary I and II, and Intermediate I) may not.

3. Only 3 credits are allowed from a student's major department.

4. No more than 9 credits from any single department.

No more than 3 credits of independent study may count toward the minor.

Students may transfer up to 6 credits towards the Latin American studies minor (3 credits grammar/conversation, 3 credits in any other area).

Students minoring in Latin American studies may count a total of 3 credits of another minor toward the Latin American studies minor.

Total required for minor

18